Disorders

News and Resources

Anxiety & Panic Disorders

What is the Disorder?

Anxiety can be defined as worry or apprehension about bad things that could potentially happen in the future. While everyone has some anxiety at times, an anxiety disorder is excessive and irrational worry that affects a person's everyday functioning in a negative way.

Everyday ups and downs are just more challenging when you have an anxiety disorder and it can cause problems with your work and home life as well as your social life. Anxiety disorders cause excessive stress and worry not only to the person themselves but also to the people around them. Living with someone who has an anxiety disorder is a challenge in itself.
Learn more about anxiety

SUB-DISORDERS

There are several types of anxiety disorders including:

Panic disorder — Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that produces real physical symptoms.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a person has a terrifying experience that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm.
Social phobia (or social anxiety disorder) — Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, is diagnosed when people become extremely anxious and fearful in everyday social situations.
Specific phobias — A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) — People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worry constantly, even though there is little or nothing to worry about.

Treatment

If you do have a problem with anxiety, there are different treatments that can help. There are also some things you can do on your own such as stopping caffeine (coffee, sodas, energy drinks) and increasing your exercise. Exercise reduces anxiety in many people. There is no reason to feel embarrassed about getting treatment for anxiety.
Read more about anxiety treatment

Medications for Anxiety

Many types of anxiety disorders improve when treated with certain antidepressants, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
Read more about medications for anxiety

Progress Tracker

Track your anxiety symptoms to identify patterns and help with your treatment plan. Our progress tracker can be printed out or even shared with your healthcare professional electronically.
Progress tracking for anxiety

News & Research

Blogging may help teens

Medical News Today

New studies indicate that blogging may help teens deal with social distress by providing a channel to express and share their feelings with others, especially their peers.

Anxiety can cause lower blood pressure over time

BMC Public Health | By Bjørn Hildrum et al.

This study contradicts the common perception that anxiety and depression cause hypertension. In fact the sgudy shows that depression and anxiety over time can lower blood pressure.

Diagnosis

There is no specific diagnostic test for anxiety disorders. Your doctor or mental health professional will ask you questions about your symptoms and your past history. There are no blood tests that will diagnose anxiety but some tests may be done to rule out physical causes of your symptoms. Imaging studies such as X-Rays, CT scans or MRI tests are rarely needed.
Learn more about anxiety diagnosis

Questionnaire

This simple questionnaire is designed to help you determine if you have symptoms of anxiety and could benefit from professional help.

Take Anxiety Questionnaire

Doctor Discussion Guide

Talking to your doctor or mental health professional about an anxiety disorder can be difficult. Knowing what questions to ask can help. Our Doctor Discussion Guide includes a list of questions you may want to ask. You can even add questions of your own and then print out the list.
Doctor Discussion Guide

Disorders

News and Resources

Anxiety & Panic Disorders

What is the Disorder?

SUB-DISORDERS

Panic disorder — Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that produces real physical symptoms.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a person has a terrifying experience that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm.

Social phobia (or social anxiety disorder) — Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, is diagnosed when people become extremely anxious and fearful in everyday social situations.

Specific phobias — A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) — People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worry constantly, even though there is little or nothing to worry about.